Shock As Over 30 Bodies Retrieved From Kenyan River, Draws ‘Extra Judicial Killings’ Speculation
BBC senior reporter, Ferdinand Omondi staring at a human body floating in River Yala, Siaya county, Kenya.
The discovery of several bodies recently retrieved from River Yala that originates from Nandi Escarpments in the Rift Valley region as it transverse through Western Kenya and drains its water into Lake Victoria, may be a glimpse of what the river holds beneath.
Locals and Human Rights Activists led by Haki Africa have counted 31 brutalized bodies from the river.
Since July 2021, a local diver known as Okero Kite admitted to have removed 31 bodies from the river that stretches a distance of 219 kilometers.
On 10th October 2021 Okero fished out 10 bodies from the river.
“Each body was neatly packed and sealed like a parcel,” said Okero.
He added that there are still more bodies rotting in river Yala that could drive the number up even more.
Gem Sub county Police Commander in Siaya County, Charles Chacha has urged families who are missing their loved ones to report for DNA analysis.
The high body count has stirred speculation in Kenya, including suspicion that the deaths may be as a result of extra-judicial killings.
“Bodies are brought far away from this area in different vehicles including a probox and a double cabin truck very late in the night or early morning hours,” stated a witness.
However, police have denied involvement in the killings and instead appealed to members of the public with information to come forward and help in the investigation.
Journalist who visited the river recounted seeing more bodies floating on, and lying by the river.
“That’s me staring at a human body floating in the river below.
There is another badly decomposed one about 300 metres away.
20 others are lying unclaimed at the Yala Subcounty Hospital Mortuary.” Posted Ferdinand Omondi, senior journalist BBC.
Haki Africa, a human rights organization had listed 67 victims of enforced disappearance from 2021 and 8 in 2022 respectively.
Following the Yala river discovery, Kenyan government has dispatched a special forensic team to the river to probe the 21 unclaimed bodies of which 19 are males and 2 females gender, as confirmed by Yala Subcounty Hospital Superintendent, Dr. Bruno Okal.
Dr. Okal said the hospital had buried 9 unclaimed bodies in a mass grave to create space for more bodies since the morgue which is to preserve a capacity of 17 bodies was full beyond its capacity.
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